Return from the Catacombs
by zensurfer
Summary: This is an unofficial sequel to "Catacombs of the Heart" by the amazing CrazyAuntC. What will happen when Harm returns?
1. Chapter 1

Title: Return from the Catacombs - An unofficial sequel

Author: Zensurfer

A/N: A while ago I read _Catacombs of the Heart_ by CrazyAuntC. It is one of the best fics I've ever read and it inspired me so much that I just had to ask for permission to write a sequel. Permission was granted on the condition that I waited until she had posted her sequel first. The official sequel _Flying from the Catacombs_ was posted earlier this week and is almost as amazing as the first one. I highly recommend that you at least read the first one to get an understanding of the situation. Just so there is no confusion: This takes places **after** _Catacombs of the Heart_ and is parallel to _Flying out of the Catacombs_ – these two are in no way related.

Thank you so much to CrazyAuntC for allowing me to write this and for writing such awesome fics!

A/N 2: This is like a tribute fic, I guess, and I am not nearly as skilled as CrazyAuntC so I don't pretend that this fic will be anywhere near as good as hers, but it just needed to be written – one of those things that churn in your head and keep you awake at night until you get it out, you know? ;)

All right, here goes. Reviews are welcome and much appreciated J

Mac's Apartment

Georgetown

Washington, D.C.

Monday, December 5, 2005

0600 Hours

Mac rolled over and hit the snooze button on her alarm clock as it went off to tell her that it was time to get up, get ready and go to work. Mac sighed and flopped back down on the bed. Monday morning. Time to get up and face yet another week in the treadmill. That was how she had begun to see her life – boring, grey and mundane.

Get up, shower, eat, coffee, go to work, fill out papers, investigate cases, argue them in court, plea bargains, office chit chat, home again, dinner and bed. Over and over again.

Ever since Harm had left, a grey cloud had positioned itself right above her and was permeating into every aspect of her life, making everything seem dull and tasteless. She missed him, no point in denying that. And she still loved him. She often thought back to that fateful night when he had left. She had shed so many tears and would continue to do so. He was the love of her life, her soulmate and she had hurt him, told him it could never be and he had walked right out of her life without a fight, in fact he had agreed with her. They had been heading for destruction and they both knew it. Walking away was the only right thing to do. So why did it feel so wrong?

Mac would give anything to take that night back, to make him stay. She sighed again. She would give anything to see him again.

She turned onto her side and felt a warm body coming in behind her and strong arms wrapping around her. A gentle kiss was placed on her shoulder.

"Good morning, beautiful." Cole. She could hear the smile in his voice, but also the concern as he gave her a little squeeze. She covered his strong hands with hers and smiled wistfully.

Commander Cole Andrews. He had moved into Harm's office a month after his departure and into her life a year and a half later. He was a brilliant lawyer, her age, funny, smart, handsome and kind of reminded her of Harm. He looked like him too, tall, handsome, dark hair and dreamy blue eyes that you could easily get lost in.

To say they had gotten off to a rocky start would be an understatement. Mac was angry and hurt and not ready to replace Harm with anyone and she had let Cole know it, but he had been patient and understanding and had given her time and space and gradually she had begun to let him in. At first their relationship had been purely professional, but little by little she had opened up to him and told him about Harm – not about what happened at the end, but about their partnership and again he had been nothing but a friend to her. Slowly she had grown fond of him and they had started sharing the odd dinner when working late and those working dinners turned into just dinners and then movies and one day he had asked her on an official date and she had accepted. She was nowhere near over Harm, but her hopes of ever seeing him again got smaller by each passing day. Cole was a good man and he would make a good husband and father one day, but he was not Harm. Still, she knew that he loved her and in some way she loved him too. No, she did love him, period. But she also loved Harm. Mac turned over and looked into his bright blue eyes.

"Good morning, yourself." She smiled, but her smile didn't quite reach her eyes. Cole reached up and cupped her cheek.

"Today is going to be a good day, Sarah, I can feel it." He smiled and added "I know it doesn't always feel like it, but one day you are going to be okay again." Mac's smile was genuine this time and she leaned in to kiss him. When she pulled back she said "What have I done to deserve you?" He laughed as they both got out of bed and headed for the shower.

"Beats me, MacKenzie, but God knows I love you." She smiled and kissed him again as she reached in and turned the shower on.

JAG Headquarters

Falls Church

Virginia, Washington, D.C.

0745 Hours

Mac was in a much better mood as they pulled into the parking lot at JAG and she reached over to squeeze Cole's hand before opening the door. She looked at him and said "I love you, Cole." His face broke into a huge smile and he said "That's the first time you've said that." He lifted her hand up to his mouth and kissed it "I love you too, Sarah."

They got out of the car, grabbed their covers and briefcases and headed into the building. Today was Monday and that meant staff call. After putting their briefcases in their respective offices they headed into the conference room.

Bud and Sturgis were already there as well as a few new additions to the office that had come along in the recent years. Mac and Cole took their seats opposite Bud and Sturgis and there was a pleasant and friendly atmosphere in the room. The biggest change to the office however was their new CO. After Admiral Chegwidden's retirement there had been a few candidates, but it had been Major General Gordon Creswell that had been appointed.

After a few rough months where everyone was finding their footing, he had turned out to be a really good, fair and inspiring commanding officer. He motivated his staff and trusted them and in turn they gave him an office that ran impeccably and turned out great results.

Just then the door opened and the General walked in. Lieutenant Vukovic stood up and called "Attention on deck" and everyone stood at attention. Creswell waved them off with an 'at ease' and they all sat down. On his way to his regular seat at the end of table he grabbed an extra chair and put it next to Sturgis at the end. Sturgis and Bud moved over a little to make room. Creswell then took his seat at the end and folded his hands on the table.

Cole was just about to speak up when the door suddenly flew open and in came Commander Harmon Rabb, jr., United States Navy, former aviator, now lawyer and long lost love of Mac's life, briefcase and cover in hand, clearly late and in a hurry he all but ran to the end of table and took his seat next to Creswell and Sturgis.

"Sorry for bring late, General, my apologies." Creswell nodded and turned to the table of lawyers who were all waiting for him to explain.

"Good morning, all. First order of business is the introduction of the newest addition to the team. Or actually it's an old, new addition since he has served with this office before. Some of you may know him, but for those of you who don't, this is Commander Harmon Rabb. Commander, you will make your own introductions later." Harm nodded and for the first time since entering the room he looked at Mac. She looked like a deer caught in the headlights. Clearly she knew nothing of his return. But then again, they hadn't exactly stayed in touch. Both Harm and Mac were aware that the General was talking, but both only had eyes for each other. Harm looked her straight in the eyes and saw his own feelings mirrored there: Confusion, hurt, anger, love, hope and a soul torn to pieces. Harm wanted so badly to reach over and take her in his arms and apologize for the last two years, but he knew he couldn't.

Harm noticed that the Commander next to Mac was staring at her too, but his look was one of care and tenderness and … love? Then he looked over at Harm and his piercing blue eyes flashed anger, hurt and confusion. Harm sighed inwardly. His head hurt. He finally snapped out of it when he heard Creswell call his name:

"Commander? Commander…?" Harm looked over at his new commanding officer.

"Yes, sir?"

"I want to see you and Commander Andrews in my office. Meeting adjourned, carry on, people." Everyone rose and there was a chorus of "Aye aye, sir" and people starting leaving the room. Mac all but ran out and headed straight for her office. Once she was inside in the safety of her office she sat down with a heavy sigh and put her head in her hands. What was going on? Where did he come from? She leaned back in her chair and looked around. Her eyes fell on the picture of them in Afghanistan, the same picture he had given her a new copy of the night he left. After she had started seeing Cole, she had thought it was more appropriate to keep it in the office rather than at home even though she knew he didn't mind. God, what a mess, she thought. She couldn't deal with this right now. She grabbed her unopened briefcase and her cover, headed over to Cole's office and wrote him a note saying she was going home and would call him later and then she headed towards the General's office. She stopped at Coates' desk, but before she could say anything Coates beat her to it.

"Wow, ma'am, can you believe it? Commander Rabb is back, holy cow, I never thought I'd see him again." She was about to go on, but Mac stopped her with a raised hand.

"Coates, I'm not feeling well, could you please tell the General that I'm going home?"

Coates nodded "Yes, ma'am, anything else I can do for you? Should I tell Commander Andrews? Or Commander Rabb perhaps?" Mac quickly shook her head.

"No, no thank you. I've already left Cole a message and trust me, Commander Rabb doesn't need to know anything." Coates nodded "Yes, ma'am, gotcha. Hope you feel better soon."

Mac muttered a 'thank you' and quickly left the building. When she got to the parking lot, she cursed, remembering that they had taken Cole's car to work that morning. She definitely wasn't going back inside to call a cab, but while she was pondering her options Cole came running.

"Sarah, where are you going?"

"Home" she said "I need to be alone for a little while."

"Let me drive you, we left your car at your place this morning." She bit her lip while considering her options. "Sarah…?" She finally nodded and got into the car. Cole went around to the other side, opened the door and climbed in. Once inside with the doors closed he reached over and took her hand in his.

"Are you okay?" She shook her head and the tears started falling. He reached over and pulled her in, holding her while she sobbed. When the sobbing finally subsided she pulled back and wiped her eyes.

"I'm sorry" she muttered, embarrassed.

"Don't be. You never have to be ashamed of your emotions around me." He gave her a smile and a small kiss "Now let's get you home. Unfortunately I have to go back to work, the General has asked med to bring Rabb up to speed on the ongoing cases." Ugh. Mac winced internally at the thought of Harm and Cole working together.

They drove back to her place in silence. When they reached her apartment building Cole walked her to the door.

"Do you want me to come by later after work?"

"I don't know. I'm sorry." Cole pulled her in for a tight hug and she wrapped her arms around his midsection.

"That's okay. I'll call you when I get home, alright? And if you want me to come over I will." He gave her a smile, but she thought he looked sad. He gave her a quick kiss on the lips and then turned and left. Mac unlocked her door and went inside, setting her briefcase down just inside the door. Then she went to the bathroom, got out a bottle of Advil and swallowed two without water. She had a headache and was exhausted. Then she got out of her uniform, rummaged around in her drawer and got out a worn, blue t-shirt that had NAVY emblazoned across the chest. It had been Harm's. He had left it here one night a long time ago and she had never returned it. She put it on, drew the blinds closed, went to bed and fell asleep.

Mac woke up a few hours later, disoriented and thrown off by a strange noise. It took her a few minutes to realize it was her phone. She reached over and picked it up "Mackenzie" she said groggily.

"Sarah? Are you alright?"

"Hey, Cole, yeah, I just woke up from a nap though. Am I in trouble with the General?"

"No. He told me to tell you to take it easy, rest and come back tomorrow. How are you doing?"

"I'm fine, I just need some time."

"Do you want me to come over?"

"Not tonight. I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing, Sarah. I love you. Take all the time you need, I'm right here when you're ready. Take it easy and I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay. Goodnight." Mac hung up the phone, got up and padded into the kitchen to make tea. She still felt tired to the bone and couldn't be bothered to change into something else. While she was waiting for the water to boil she thought about what she should do. Call Cole back and tell him to come over after all because she needed him? Call Harm? No, God no, that would be a foolish idea. She sighed. Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Mac walked over and, expecting it to be Cole who had decided not to take no for an answer, she opened the door without looking and said "I'm so glad you came over even…" but then she stopped realizing it was not Cole.

Standing in front of her clad in jeans and a light blue long-sleeved shirt was Harm. Mac noticed that he was wearing the watch she gave him for his 40th birthday. Mac stood there opening and closing her mouth a few times before Harm broke the silence "Are you expecting someone?" he asked.

Mac thought he sounded nervous. She shook her head "No, I uh, I thought you were Cole … I mean, Commander Andrews." Harm nodded and put his hands in his pockets. "May I come in?" Mac thought about it for a second and although she wanted to say no, she nodded her head and stepped aside so Harm could enter. It wasn't until he was inside and had closed the door that Mac realized she was only wearing underwear and a t-shirt – _his_ t-shirt nonetheless. Mac smiled self-consciously "I'm just going to go put some clothes on. I was about to make tea, why don't you pour us some?" she said and quickly retreated to the bedroom. When she emerged a few minutes later Harm had poured them two cups of tea and was standing by the couch. Awkward silence hung in the air. It was Harm that finally broke it.

"I'm sorry, I didn't tell you I was coming back." Mac just nodded and kept her eyes on the floor. "Mac, please, say something" he pleaded.

She sighed heavily and finally looked him in the eyes "I don't know what to say or do. Part of me wants to kiss you and another part of me wants to slap you. I've got a million questions."

Harm laughed a little. "I would really like a hug if that's okay? Maybe we can start with that and then take the questions afterwards?" He opened his arms and after a little hesitation Mac stepped into him, put her arms around his midsection and held him tight. Then the tears came, huge, gut-wrenching sobs. All Harm could do was hold her tight as his own tears fell as well. She put her head on his chest and he rested his head on top of his. After a while they pulled apart a bit, but they were still holding on to each other. Mac's face was red and tear-stricken.

"You're beautiful" Harm said, his voice full of love and sincerity.

"I missed you so much."

"I know, I've missed you too." He pulled her close again, but suddenly he felt her knees go weak. He gently guided her to the couch and sat her down. He put both hands on her face "You okay?" She nodded "Yeah, I just haven't eaten since breakfast."

"Right, you're going to take a shower and I'm going to cook dinner." Harm stood and headed for the kitchen while he motioned her towards the bathroom. While he started rummaging around in the kitchen for something eatable, he thought what a mess this all was. He was surprised that she hadn't seemed mad at him, but then again they hadn't really parted on bad terms. She seemed so sad though. He wanted desperately to know what was going on between her and Andrews, but he knew he had no right to ask.

He had left and he had been gone for two years and in that time he had lost all rights to know what was going on in her life. God, how he had missed her. He had messed everything up, but he was back now and desperate for a second chance and he only hoped she would give him one. He should have asked Andrews when they were working together today, but the room had been filled with awkward silence and the conversation hadn't gone past professional talk about the cases he was being briefed on. He could tell that Andrews knew something, though, and although the man was nothing but professional, he had an air of anger and frustration about him, making Harm think that there was more to their relationship than mere partners. Mac's outburst when she had opened the door had confirmed just that.

A little while later Mac came out of the bathroom wearing grey sweatpants and a dark pink tank top, her hair in a ponytail. Harm was just setting the table.

"Just in time" he smiled "I've made veggie lasagna." She sat down at the table and pulled one leg under her, looking very insecure. Harm sat down across from her and reached over and took her hand in his.

"Why did you come back?" She burst out then she shook her head "No, that's not what I want to ask first. You're already back so why did you come here – to me?" Harm looked down at his plate, contemplating what to say – how was he going to explain?

"I wanted to apologize for … for everything. For leaving, for not staying in touch, for not telling you that I was coming back. No, I want to apologize for things before that, for letting things get the way they got. I should have stayed, should have insisted that we were going to make it, we weren't going to explode, we could've done it together." Mac had tears in her eyes again and Harm reached over to brush away a stray tear that was sliding down her cheek.

Mac nodded "Okay, your turn." Harm thought about it long and hard, but there was only one question that was burning in his mind: "Are you seeing Commander Andrews?" Mac nodded and then she decided to tell him, partly to spite him, partly to let him know she had moved on (even though she hadn't) and a part of her just wanted to make him plain jealous.

"He was brought in to take your place a month after you left. You really left me a mess, Harm." She laughed a little and he looked at his plate, which was still empty. "He was nothing but professional, although I really gave him a hard time. He was patient and he was there when I needed someone to talk to. It wasn't until about six months ago that we started dating. He never pushed me, was never inappropriate." She put some lasagna on her plate and started pushing it around, never looking up at Harm. "We just… He's a really good guy. We took it really slow, he knew I … Then after a while we went to the General, he was really good about it, said that as long as we kept it out of the office we could both stay. Cole is an excellent attorney, really an asset to the office." Harm nodded. He had taken some lasagna as well, but he was also just pushing it around. Then he put his fork down and looked up at her.

"Listen, Mac, I know I have no right to ask this, really, it's none of my business, but … do you love him?" Mac finally looked at him. He looked so sad, his eyes pleading and full of sorrow. Mac bit her lip, lowered her eyes again and nodded "I do, I do love him." Harm's eyes were full of unshed tears when he asked, so quietly that Mac almost couldn't hear "Like you used to love me?" Mac shook her head and the tears started flowing again. In a heartbeat Harm was by her side, pulling her into his embrace. As the crying subsided he found the courage to ask "Do you still love me?" That brought Mac to her feet. Now she was furious. Harm quickly got up too, knowing what was coming his way.

"How dare you?! You leave me, just waltz out of my life, give up on us and then you come back TWO years later wanting a second chance. Out!"

"Mac…"

"Get out!" She crossed her arms and he sighed, turned around and left. Mac closed the door behind him, sunk down with her back against the door and let the tears flow freely again.


	2. Chapter 2

JAG Headquarters

Falls Church, Virginia

December 6, 2005

0800 Hours

Mac was sitting in her office. She had gotten in really early to avoid everyone and was busy pretending to read a file, when there was a slight knock on her door before it was opened a little bit and Cole stuck his head in.

"Is it safe to come in?" he said with a smile. She nodded and waved him in while getting up. She then walked over and when he had closed the door she put her hands around his neck and drew him in for a passionate kiss. He responded and slid his arms around her waist, lifting her up. When they parted and he had put her back down he asked what that had been for.

"Just a thank you for being you." She smiled. She felt much better today.

"You okay? I mean, if you need time to figure things out I completely understand."

"No, I'm fine, there is nothing to figure out. Everything is good." Cole eyed her suspiciously.

"What about Rabb?"

"Commander Rabb is just another colleague. I do admit, I was quite surprised to see him again, but whatever happened is in the past, over and done with." Cole gave her the same suspicious look as before, but then relented.

"Okay, if you say so, Colonel." He gave her a broad smile, which was reciprocated.

"That I do, Commander." She decided to change the subject completely, or so she thought. "What are you up to today?"

"I've still got a few more cases to go over with Commander Rabb." He winced inwardly, but she didn't flinch.

"Okay, want to meet for lunch?" She walked around her desk to where her calendar was lying and opened it up, looking at today's date "Around 1300, perhaps?"

"Sure." He leaned over her desk and kissed her again. "See you then. Love you, MacKenzie." She looked up and smiled, but this smile didn't quite reach her eyes and Cole noticed.

"Right back at you, Sailor." Cole left her office, leaving the door open and bumped into Harm in the bullpen.

"Good morning, Commander."

"Andrews, yes, good morning." He smiled a smile he hoped looked sincere. There wasn't actually anything wrong with the guy except that he was dating Mac. "Call me Harm, though." Cole nodded "Okay, Harm, how about I meet you in the conference room in..." he looked at his watch "10 minutes and we can get the rest of the cases out of the way?"

"Sounds good." Harm smiled again and when Cole left he looked over at Mac's office. The door was open. He took a deep breath, walked over and knocked on the doorframe. Mac looked up from the file she was reading.

"Good morning. What can I do for you?" Mac was determined to keep things friendly. She had thought long and hard about things last night and obviously Harm couldn't be trusted with her heart so she was going to pack all of her feelings neatly into a little box and tuck them far away. She didn't want to bring any drama to the office so she was damn well going to act professional. Harm was clearly taken aback by her friendly tone, but quickly tried to mask his surprise.

"I just wanted to apologize for last night. I was…" Mac stood and waved him off before he could finish.

"Come in, close the door and have a seat, Harm." Harm did as instructed, but remained standing, his arms crossed over his chest.

"You asked me yesterday if you still had a chance. You do. I want to be friends again. I've missed you. I want our friendship back. So what I am offering is a chance to rebuild our friendship."

"And what if I want more than a friendship?"

"You can't have more. Take it or leave it." She sat back down. Harm uncrossed his arms and nodded.

"Okay. I'll take what I can get. So how do we do that?"

"We pretend the last two years never happened. You were gone, you came back, easy as that and we try to go back to the way things were once. No pressure and no expectations, we just let things develop."

"Okay, I can do that."

"Good."

"Hug?" He opened his arms to her like he had done the night before and she got up and stepped into his embrace, hugging him back. When they parted a little later than they should have, Harm looked at her and brought his hand up to caress her cheek.

"I still love you, though." He whispered and she sighed and brought her hand up to intertwine with his.

"I know." Then he dropped his hand, turned and walked out of her office. Once he was out of earshot, she whispered sadly "I love you too."

Harm walked down the hall and into the conference room where Cole was already sitting, a stack of files spread out in front of him. Harm took a seat opposite him and Cole looked up at him.

"Right, we've only got a few to go so let's start with the McMiller court martial" he said and opened another file.

"I love her, you know. Mac, I mean" Harm blurted out. Cole sighed, moved the file across and folded his hands on top of the table.

"I know who you mean. And how does she feel about you?"

"I don't know. She wants to be friends again." In the back of his mind Harm thought it slightly odd to sit there and talk to a stranger about Mac – and even more odd when that stranger was her current boyfriend – but he just couldn't stop himself.

"She loves you, you know?"

Cole nodded and smiled "Yes, I know. How do you know, though? I drove Sarah home after the staff meeting yesterday and I know you didn't speak to her then. I was with you all day and we left at the same time." 'Ugh', Harm thought 'this could get sticky.'

"I uh, I went to her place last night. Uninvited, I might add, she didn't invite me over or anything. In fact I was pretty sure she was going to hit me when I showed up." He laughed nervously under the scrutiny of the man across from him.

"I see. Look, Harm, I don't know what happened between the two of you. Sarah has told me some, but not everything, but I do know that things didn't go as planned and she has spent a long time trying to get over you and quite frankly, I'm not even sure she is fully there yet. As much as I'd like to, I can't tell you to back off, because that's not my choice to make just like you can't make Sarah love you again. Only she can decide what to do. She wants you to be friends again? Good. She has missed you and she has always said that before you two messed everything up, you were best friends. Honestly she needs a little sunshine in her life. Just make sure you bring the sun and not the rain. Do what you need to, see if you can get you friendship back, but don't pressure her and don't hurt her. Understood?"

Harm nodded. This guy really loves her. Who was he to come back into her life and try to take her happiness away from her? The same happiness he himself had denied her two long years ago. He had had his chance and now he was going to be content to just be her friend.

They worked until 12.45 and then Cole looked at his watch, stood up and started gathering his papers. "I promised Sarah I'd meet her for lunch and then I've got court." He turned to leave, but then he took a deep breath and looked back at Harm "Look, why don't you come over to Sarah's tonight around 1800 – we'll cook dinner and talk, the three of us, alright?"

"I don't know if that's a good idea…"

"Sure it is, don't be silly. We'll see you tonight." He smiled and walked out to the door to go meet Mac for lunch.

Mac's Apartment

Georgetown

Washington, D.C.

1755 Hours

Harm walked down the hallway like he had done so many times before, only now it felt strange and foreign. He really didn't want to be here.

As he neared her apartment he noticed that the door was open and warm light was spilling out into the dark hallway along with a very delicious aroma. He could hear soft music and laughter coming from inside. He reached the door and just stood in the doorway, taking in the scene. Mac was wearing an apron and she was laughing, a wonderful laughter that came from her belly and oozed out like liquid gold, while she was fanning away at a pot with a dishtowel.

Cole was laughing too as he took the pot and put it in the sink and poured water on it. He then turned back to Mac and put his arms around her waist from behind and started tickling her. She laughed even harder and then the tickling subsided and was replaced with little kisses on her neck. She leaned into him and put her hands over his.

'I shouldn't be here' Harm thought, but just as he turned to leave, Cole turned them around and spotted him.

"Rabb! Come on in" he laughed and let go of Mac, walking over to Harm and shaking his hand. "You are just in time." Harm smiled uncomfortably and Mac came over and gave him a somewhat rather awkward hug.

"Hey…" she smiled. She had taken her apron off and looked amazing in tight fitting jeans and a red sweater. Cole was wearing dark blue jeans and a white shirt with a light blue sweater on top and bare feet. He was a handsome guy, Harm could definitely see what Mac saw in him. Mac on the other hand was looking Harm over. He too looked quite smashing in jeans and a plain white t-shirt.

"Hey, yourself." They stood there looking at each other for a while, while Cole changed the music from 30 Seconds to Mars to The Cranberries. He then put his hands together and said "Right, people, let's eat." He took a seat at the end of the table and Harm and Mac sat down on opposite sides of him. There was oven baked salmon with salad, veggies and garlic bread. It looked delicious and Harm let them know.

"Yea well, there was going to be fried mushrooms as well, but you know Sarah's cooking can be a bit…" Cole trailed off and made a face that said 'yikes!' Harm laughed and Mac playfully swatted Cole. "Don't get cute, Squid." She laughed, but Harm froze. That's what she used to call him. They all started dishing stuff onto their plates and had just begun eating when Cole put his fork down.

"Right, so the main reason I invited you over tonight, Harm, was so that we could talk." Harm gulped, but Cole continued "You guys used to be best friends, what the hell happened?" He looked from Harm to Mac and back again, but they were both busy inspecting the food on their plates.

"Right, never mind, bottom line is, Harm you left and broke Sarah's heart in the process. Neither of you have had the guts to contact each other in two years and then suddenly, boom, here you are, Harm, back in our lives, wrecking havoc. Now, you might think that this is a little odd coming from me, but I have an interest in you two sorting things out." He took a hold of Mac's hand and looked her in the eyes. "I love this woman and if she will let me, I will continue to love her for the rest of my life, but…" And then he looked over at Harm with a stern look "I can't do that unless you two figure out what is going on between you. I want you to resolve things and either you get together – and STAY together – or you go back to being friends or you cut ties completely and never bother each other again. Either way I want you to make a decision and stick to it. That way we can all move on. This isn't high school, people, and I'm not going to be part of some love triangle."

Harm and Mac looked like two little kids being scolded by their father. "So…" Cole got up from the table and grabbed his plate "what I'm going to do, is I'm going to take this delicious food home with me and then you two are going to stay here and talk things out and I don't want to hear from either of you until you have done so." He started walking towards the door and Mac got up and followed him, stopping him before he could leave.

"Cole, what are you doing?" she whispered so Harm couldn't hear. Cole cupped her face with his free hand.

"I love you, Sarah, but your mind is all over the place and all three of us deserve better than that. So stay here and talk it out and no matter what you decide, I will always love you." He kissed her passionately on the lips.

"Even if I leave you?"

"Yes. But if you do that is it. No running back and forth, you make a decision and you stick to it." He kissed her again. "I'll see you tomorrow." And then he left, leaving a very confused marine standing in the doorway.

Mac walked back to the table and sat down again, awkward silence filling the room. Finally Harm broke it.

"He's probably going to make JAG one day with that command presence." Harm noted and Mac laughed a little and looked up.

"Yeah, he's on the fast track alright." Harm looked her in the eyes and asked the same question that he had asked the night before.

"Do you love him?"

She nodded. "I do, I really do. The problem is that I love you too… It's just different" she replied silently and looked down again. Silence took over again, both lost in thought until Mac decided she needed to know some things.

"Where did you go?"

Harm sighed "I went wherever the Navy needed me. Iraq for a while and then Afghanistan. I was on the Patrick Henry for a few months, but my life was so messed up, I just needed time to think. I had thirty days of leave on the books and I took them and went to Europe of all places, huh. I travelled around for a couple of weeks and then I realized that I needed to come home, back to JAG and … back to you. I had of course heard that Chegwidden had retired so I knew it wasn't going to be easy, but somehow I managed to get back in. And now I'm here and I don't really have a plan." He smiled sheepishly. Silence overtook them until Mac broke it.

"What do you want?"

Harm sighed "I want a lot of things." Mac shook her head and was reminded of that night on the Admiral's porch.

"What do you want most?" She reached over and took his hand and he caressed her knuckles with his thumb.

"I want whatever you can give me. I love you."

Mac sat back in her chair and laughed lightly. "Alright, who are you and what have you done with Harmon Rabb? The Harm I know couldn't express his feelings if his life depended on it." Harm had a serious look on his face and his eyes were filled with sadness.

"A lot of things have changed over the past two years, Mac. I have changed." Mac nodded and pursed her lips.

"Like I said in my office this morning, I love Cole. I really want us to be friends again, can we do that? Just be like we used to?" Harm hung his head in sadness, but then looked up, Flyboy grin firmly in place.

"Yes. We can do that. I just want back in, Mac." Mac reached over again and squeezed his hand.

"Good. Now let's eat, I'm starving." Harm laughed and for the rest of the evening they actually managed to have a pleasant conversation. Mac filled him in on Chegwidden's retirement and General Creswell's appointment as JAG and Harm shared stories from his trip to Europe. They never once spoke about the events of their last night together however, just like neither mentioned the last investigation they conducted in the Catacombs.

After having cleaned up Mac walked Harm to the door. They had lit candles and the fire was burning and "Dreams" by the Cranberries were filling the room. They stood facing each other and they stood a lot closer than two friends would stand. Harm reached down and took Mac's hand. She turned hers a little bit so she could intertwine her fingers with his. She was acutely aware of his other hand resting on the small of her back, his fingers drawing little circles.

"I had a good time tonight, Mac." Mac just nodded, afraid to speak. She felt like her heart was going to explode. When Harm left this room, their fate was sealed. They would be friends and nothing more. She brought her free hand up to rest on his chest and he released her hand and started running his fingers gently up and down her arm, giving her goosebumps. Mac slowly lifted her head so that they were nose to nose, their lips barely touching. Slowly they inched closer until their lips met. The kiss was gentle and full of promises they knew they could never fulfill. Harm pressed against her lips and she opened her mouth, welcoming his tongue inside. The kiss deepened and they both poured as much passion into it as they could muster. Harm's hands slipped under her sweater and were caressing her back and Mac's went around his neck to deepen the kiss further. When they finally pulled apart they were breathing heavily. Neither let go of the other and, leaning their foreheads against each other, they tried to catch their breath. Harm finally pulled back a little, but still didn't let go. He looked her in the eyes and saw all the love in the world. He knew it was mirrored in his own.

"You said your love for Cole is different than your love for me – how so?" Mac sighed and tried to find the words to explain. After a little while she said:

"Cole makes me feel safe. I know without a doubt that he loves me and that he will always be here. He is an unwavering rock and my love for him is steady and secure. Maybe it doesn't have all the fire and passion of a great love story, but it's safe and gentle." She took a deep breath as she considered whether or not she should go on. "My love for you is fire and passion and an "end of life as we know it" kind of love. It's grand, it's butterflies in my stomach, it's wanting to be with you every minute of every hour of every day for the rest of our lives. It's feeling like me heart is going to explode when I see you and it's the tingling sensation I get when we touch. It's everything and always and it's a physical ache when we're apart. But it's also unstable, insecure and explosive and as we have determined before it will put us on the path of explosion and I can't live like that. Even if you are the greatest love of my life and there will never be anyone else like you." Tears were falling down her cheeks and when she looked at his face she saw that he was crying to. He leaned in and kissed her again and then pulled her close for a hug.

"I love you so much" he whispered in her ear, his warm breath tickling her ear, "more than anything in the whole world. You are the stars and the moon, you are my whole world and the reason I get up in the morning. I will love you forever." And with that he gave her a quick kiss on the forehead, walked out the door and shut it behind him.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! Keep 'em coming :)

This chapter is SO short, sorry. We're busy getting ready to go to Australia soon and between that and a 9 month old daughter AND not knowing quite where I want to take this story, I'm not getting much done. I do hope to post a longer chapter before we go though.

JAG Headquarters

Falls Church, Virginia

Wednesday, December 7, 2005

0800 Hours

Mac walked through the bullpen and knocked on the door to Cole's office. When she heard him say 'Enter' she did, walked in and closed the door behind her. Cole looked up in surprise, put his pen down and leaned back in his chair.

"Hi" he said, not knowing what to think. His heart starting racing – was she there to kiss him and tell him everything was going to be okay, they were going to be together or was she there to break up with him? Nervously he leaned forward and folded his hands on the desk. As if sensing his nervousness Mac walked around his desk and kissed him. When she drew back he had a satisfied smile on his face.

"So… what's up?" he said, grinning, hoping he knew the answer to that question.

"Oh, nothing much, just thought I'd pop in and see how my favorite sailor is doing." She smiled mischievously as he grabbed her by the hips and pulled her closer.

"Your favorite, huh? I take it last night went well? Well, seen from my perspective anyway, probably not from Rabb's."

"Well, let's just say that the odds were in your favor. Harm was good about it, he agreed to be just friends and start working on rebuilding our friendship. He likes you, you know? Thinks you are a good guy. Do you think you could try to be friends with him? I mean, you are both really important to me and I would like us all to get along."

"Absolutely. I will do my best to get to know him and we'll see what happens, okay?" He smiled as he pulled her down in his lap and gave her a big kiss. "Now go, get out of here. We did promise the general that we would keep it out of the office, right." She laughed a hearty laugh as she got up and blew him a little finger kiss as she walked out the door. Then, taking a deep breath, she headed over to Harm's office and, leaning on his doorframe, she said "Hey, Sailor." He looked up from the papers he was bent over and gave her a big smile.

"Well, hey yourself. What's up?"

"I uh, was just wondering if you are free for lunch?"

"Yes, ma'am, I am. What did you have in mind?"

"I thought we could try this new Italian place just around the corner, just you and me, you know?"

"Sounds good. I've got a bunch of paperwork, but how about I meet you in your office around 1300?" Mac nodded and smiled.

"It's a date" she said before turning around and going to her own office.

"Yes, it is, MacKenzie." Harm knew that what he had in mind wasn't quite fair. It certainly wasn't thoughts of friendship and it was anything but gentlemanly, but last night he had laid a plan, quite an elaborate plan if he were to say so himself, to get Mac back. First things first he had to gain back her trust and friendship, starting with lunch today.


	4. Chapter 4

JAG Christmas Party

The Roberts' residence

Friday, December 23, 2005

1805 Hours

It had been a few weeks since Harm's surprise return and even though things were shaky between him and Mac, they were on the right track. Harm felt like they were getting their groove back. Christmas was approaching fast and Harm had a big surprise in store for Mac. He was however quite nervous as to how she would take it.

Tonight was the annual Christmas party at Bud and Harriet's. Harm pulled into the driveway a few minutes late, parked the car and got out, closing the door as he approached the house, taking in the view: Snow had fallen that day and had covered the ground in a thick, fluffy layer. Everything was white. The air was crisp and Harm could see his breath as he exhaled.

He ascended the few stairs that led onto the porch and knocked on the door. A few seconds later the door opened and he was greeted by a grinning Bud.

"Merry Christmas, Sir. Come on in."

"Thanks, Bud. And it's Harm."

"Yes, Sir." Bud and Harm both grinned and Harm extended a glove-clad hand, which Bud shook. Harm shrugged off his coat and took off his gloves and looked around the living room.

"Harriet!" Harm exclaimed when she came walking over. "The place looks great!" He enveloped her in a warm hug and when they parted his eyes scanned the room yet again. The walls were neatly decorated with Christmas ornaments and off to the right was a big Christmas tree beautifully decorated and lit. A fire was crackling in the fireplace, bathing the room in a warm golden glow. Next to the fireplace Sturgis was having an animated conversation with General Creswell, Mrs. Creswell and a beautiful woman who could only be Varese. Harm had yet to meet her, but Sturgis had mentioned her. They looked good together and Sturgis looked genuinely happy.

Coates and Vucovic were standing by the food table, talking, and next to Vucovic was Mac. She was laughing at something he had said. Harm thought she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, bathed in the warm glow from the fire and wearing a gorgeous black and red dress. She looked over as if she knew he had arrived. She looked him right in the eyes and smiled a warm smile. Harm smiled back, his heart beating a thousand beats a minute.

Harm realized Bud had been speaking this whole time and turned back towards him. Bud was laughing and Harm assumed he had said something funny and joined in the laughter. He then excused himself to go say hello to everyone.

He walked over to Mac first and she turned just as he approached and enveloped him in a warm hug. When they pulled apart he gave her a kiss on the cheek and full watt smile. He shook hands with Vucovic and exchanged hugs with Coates before moving on to greet the next group.

"Commander!" Harm turned when he heard his commanding officer call him. He walked over and shook hands with Creswell and his wife and greeted Sturgis and Varese.

Moments later Harm was engaged in conversation with Creswell and his wife when he noticed Mac slip quietly out of the porch doors. He excused himself, went to get his coat and followed her out on the porch. He thought he saw Creswell glance at him and wink, but decided it must have been his imagination.

His breath caught when he saw her leaning against the railing. The air was cold and he walked up behind her and put his coat around her shoulders. She turned slightly and smiled at him.

"Hey."

"Hey yourself." Harm rubbed his hands together and blew warm air into them. Mac laughed slightly and took his hands in her warm ones, heating them up. Harm smiled shyly. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but there was something in the air tonight. A strange, but not unwelcome feeling, like a warm blanket over everything. Harm gently pulled his hands back and he swore he saw something like regret in her eyes, but it was masked as quickly as it appeared and she turned back around to lean over the railing once more.

"I didn't see Andrews in there." Harm wanted to kick himself.

"No, he left this afternoon for the Patrick Henry for a mishap investigation, a sailor went overboard. Harm nodded, but was confused. Why would Creswell send Cole, when he could've sent Harm who had no attachments? Surely he knew that Mac and Cole would be spending Christmas together. And Harm knew that he was just as capable of handling a mishap investigation. He quickly put that thought out of his mind and turned his attention back to Mac.

"It was supposed to be our first Christmas together."

"I'm sorry, Mac." He really was. Silence hung in the still air until Harm broke it.

"You know, Mac, if you want, I mean I don't have any plans either, so I you want, maybe we could spend Christmas together? If you want." Mac laughed softly at Harm's bumbling. Harm thought it was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard. Then she straightened up and turned towards him.

"I'd like that, Harm. I'd like that very much." Harm broke into a huge smile, but Mac continued. "Maybe we could even, I mean if you would like you could come over tomorrow night maybe and help me decorate the tree?"

Now it was Harm's turn to laugh a little, but he sobered up when he looked into her deep brown eyes. "I'd love to help decorate your tree."

They locked eyes and stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, before Harm leaned in ever so slowly and gently touched his lips to hers. When he pulled back, Mac searched his blue orbs.

"Mistletoe?" She laughed nervously.

Harm looked at her with such love and affection and he was deeply serious when he answered "No."

Mac laughed a little nervously again and Harm noticed she was shivering.

"It's getting cold, Mac, let's go back inside." At that Mac smiled sadly and there was a hint of mischief in her eyes.

"I don't know, Harm, I quite like spending time with you on various porches." With that she leaned up and kissed him on the cheek before handing him his coat and walking back inside, leaving Harm on the porch with a smile on his face. He stood there smiling for a few seconds before he followed her inside.


	5. Chapter 5

Harm's Apartment

North of Union Station

Friday, December 23, 2005

2200 Hours

Harm unlocked his door and stepped inside. The apartment was dark and quiet. He wondered where his new little companion was. He turned the light on and saw the little fluff ball curled up in the corner of the couch, sleeping. He gently patted him so as not to wake him and moved on to the bathroom where he had a quick shower and brushed his teeth.

Then he put boxers on and pulled a blue t-shirt over his head with the words 'NAVY' written across the chest and laid down on his bed.

The rest of the Christmas party had been wonderful. He had laughed and talked with friends and danced with Mac and everything had almost felt normal again.

He closed his eyes and as he drifted off to sleep he felt his feet being covered by his warm and fuzzy new friend and he fell asleep smiling.

Mac's Apartment

Georgetown

Washington, D.C.

Saturday, December 24

1700 Hours

Harm was nervous. He was standing outside Mac's door getting up the courage to knock. In his arms were the little fuzzball he had gotten recently. He laughed softly as it licked him on the nose. He thought back to that day in the office a couple of weeks ago. Mac had seemed down and he had finally managed to get out of her that she missed Jingo - missed having a dog around. Then a friend of his had called out of the blue a few days later and it turned out his dog had just had puppies! Harm had taken it as a sign and had gotten the cutest, most fluffiest one for Mac.

He took a deep breath and knocked.

Mac was in the kitchen when she heard a knock on the door. 'Just on time', she thought, 'he really has changed'. She laughed a little to herself as she made her way to the door. She opened it and there was Harm, looking handsome as ever in dark jeans and a buttondown black coat. What surprised her though was what he was holding: The cutest little golden retriever puppy she had ever seen. The little pup gave a small yelp and stuck it's tongue out. Harm gave her a sheepish grin and sat the puppy down. It immediatly started sniffing Mac's legs and laughing she bent down and patted him. After a few minutes it was satisfied and wandered off to search the apartment.

Mac looked up at Harm and laughed.

"Merry Christmas, Mac." He stepped inside and hugged her tight. She responded by putting her arms around his midsection and placing her head on his chest. He kissed the top of her head before moving around and shrugging off his coat. "I know it's technically not Christmas yet, but I couldn't hold off on giving you your present anymore." He gestured to the little ball of fur that was now snuggled up on the couch, fast asleep.

Mac laughed again as she headed toward the kitchen to fix them up some hot chocolate.

"No worries, thank you for that." She smiled warmly. "He's adorable. Does he have a name?" Harm shrugged. "I named him Bongo, but you can name him anything you want." He plopped down next to the little puppy and scratched his head. The dog sighed contently in his sleep.

Mac returned with two mugs of steaming hot chocolate and sat down next to him. "Bongo sounds just right."

The room was warm, the fire was lit and everywhere was burning candles. The smell of chocolate mixed with the smell of the Christmas tree in the middle of the room. Harm felt warm and happy. He looked and Mac and found her staring right at him. Her soft hair framed her beautiful face perfectly and a soft smiled graced her features. Harm took her hand in his and she laced their fingers together. He brought the other hand up to caress her cheek and she leaned into his touch. He slowly leaned closer and Mac closed her eyes. Just before their lips touched Harm heard Mac breathe his name. Their lips met in a gently kiss that quickly deepened as Mac brought her arms up to encircle his neck. Harm's tongue begged for entrance and it was granted. He slipped in to explore her mouth and they both moaned.

"Harm..." Mac but her hands on his chest and he pulled back and rested his forehead against hers. When he pulled back he looked ridden with guilt.

"Mac, I'm sorry about this whole mess. I never should have left... That whole thing with Denise ... I'm just so sorry.." Mac stopped him by putting a hand on his arm.

"Don't worry about it, Harm. We both made mistakes and I am sorry too. But it's in the past now. Just try and forget about it, okay?" She smiled as she stood. "Now how about that tree?"

After about an hour they both stepped back and admired their work. The tree was beautifully decorated with ornaments in all shapes and colours and underneath lay a big bunch of present. They were both very happy with the result, but before either one of them could say anything they were interrupted by a tiny little bark. When they turned around little Bongo were standing by the door, it's cute little head tilted sideways as to say 'are you coming?'

Harm laughed. "I'll go, I've got a bunch of food and stuff for him in the car that I need to bring up anyway."

Mac looked out the window "Did you bring a seabag, Sailor?" Harm nodded "Looks like you might want to bring that up as well, it's snowing pretty heavily out there." Harm did a mock salute before leading Bongo out the door "Yes ma'am" he grinned.

Mac's Apartment

Georgetown

Sunday, December 25, 2005

0800 Hours

'Wow, they sure got a lot of snow here last night' Cole thought as he looked his car and did a quick run into the building. Keys in one hand and fresh bagels and a shopping bag in the other he dashed up the stairs to Mac's apartment. Unlocking the door with his key he stepped inside. 'She must still be asleep'. The place was dark and he carefully stepped over to the window, pulling the drapes back and letting the light in. Turning around he jumped a little, startled. 'Rabb, what the hell? And is that a dog?' On the couch was Harm in only boxers, a blanket draped over him and a dog at his feet.

The whole apartment was decorated nicely and the tree was beautiful. 'They must've been decorating last night and got caught out by the snowfall.. Yep, that must have been it.' He peered into the bedroom were Mac was still asleep and decided to start making breakfast.

Mac woke to the smell of fresh coffee and bagels. She stretched lazily in bed and decided to have a quick shower before breakfast. Afterwards she got dressed in black sweat pants and a blue top. She let her hair hang loose. She then stepped into the living room where she found Harm and Bongo still asleep on the couch. Puzzled she turned to the kitchen from where she heard someone whistling 'Jingle Bells'.

"Cole! What are you doing here?"

"Well goodmorning, Sunshine, and merry Christmas" Cole replied cheerfully. He was toasting bagels and putting cream cheese on them. He looked good in faded jeans and a dark shirt, sleeves rolled up.

"Merry Christmas" Mac stepped closer and he brought her into a tight one-armed embrace and kissed the top of her head. "How did you get here?" She picked up a bagel and took a bite "Yum, this is delicious." Cole poured her a cup of coffee to go with the bagel.

"Christmas miracle" he smiled. Just then they heard a groan from the living room.

"Mmmh, something smells good, Marine." They saw Harm's mussed up hair as he sat up on the couch, his Flyboy grin firmly in place. Until he spotted Cole that was, then he shot up like he was struck by lightning.

"Andrews!"

"Goodmorning, Rabb. Merry Christmas." Harm mumbled a merry Christmas to you too while he was looking for his shirt. He found it under the still sleeping dog, pulled it out, shook the dog hairs off it and put it on. Mac was relieved. She found that she was enjoyed the sight of him in only boxers just a little too much. Pulling his pants on, Harm quickly got his things together and finally looked at Mac and Cole.

"We were decorating the tree last night and uh.. I'd better go.."

"Harm, you don't have to go.."

"Yea, I'd better go. Have a great day, guys." He flashed them a halfhearted grin as he patted Bongo on the head and as he slipped out the door he turned slightly and said "Merry Christmas."

A/N: Don't worry, it'll get better in the next week ;)

Merry Christmas guys. Have a safe and blessed holiday :)


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Final chapter guys, will it be a happy ending?

I have absolutely no idea what they eat for New Year's in the States so I'm serving them what we eat here.

JAG Headquarters

Falls Church, Virginia

Saturday, December 31, 2005

1500 Hours

Harm was at his desk, signing off a few final papers. It was Saturday and the office was deserted. Harm had been in all week even though most staff members had been on leave for the holidays. Mac hadn't been in all week. Harm hadn't heard from her.

Tonight was the New Year's Eve party. Harm sighed and rubbed his face. Harriet had talked retired Admiral Chegwidden into hosting a party for his former staff members. According to Harriet, Bud, Sturgis and Varese, Tiner, Coates, the Mattoni's, General Creswell and his wife and Mac and Andrews would all be there.

Harm still didn't know if he was going or not. He wasn't really in the mood for a party and he certainly wasn't in the mood to see Mac and Andrews kiss in the new year. He groaned and stood up. He had finished every last scrap of paperwork he could find and no longer had an excuse not to go home. He gatheres his papers, grabbed his cover and briefcase and headed out the door.

Across town Mac was pacing the living room floor, unable to decide if she should attend the Admiral's party. Sure seeing everyone in an informal setting was always nice, but she wasn't sure she wanted to see Harm.

After he had left on Christmas morning, Mac and Cole had had a long talk about their relationship and Mac had decided to call it quits. Cole had wanted to work it out, convinced that they could get past whatever it was, but in his heart of hearts he knew that Mac could never really get past Harm.

Sighing she headed for the kitchen to make herself a cup of tea.

Chegwiddens residence

Maclean, Virginia

1900 Hours

Harm was glad he had decided to come after all. He was really enjoying himself. It was good seeing the Admiral again and everyone was having a good time. The only thing missing was Mac. The party had been going for an hour and everyone was about to sit down to eat.

Harm took his seat at the table. Harriet had prepared a wonderful meal and the table was filled with ham, stewed cabbage, white and caramelized potatoes, red pickled cabbage, cabbage sausages and a delicious white ham sauce.

Everyone had just taken their seats when there was a knock on the door. The Admiral went to open it and to everyone's surprise there was Mac! She had snow in her hair and on her coat and the cold had given her cheeks a subtle pink colour. She shrugged off her coat and handed it to the Admiral. They exchanged a few words and then they hugged.

Harm noticed she was wearing a stunning red dress. He also noticed that the only available seat was next to him and he hoped and prayed Mac was pick another spot.

She gave a little wave to everyone and took her seat next to Harm. When she glanced at him and smiled a shy smile, his breath caught and all he could do was smile sheepishly. The Admiral raised his glass to make a toast, but Harm couldn't hear a word of what he was saying. All he could feel was Mac's leg next to his and the heat she was radiating. At one point she reached over under the table, took his hand in hers. Uncomfortable, he gave her hand a little squeeze and then let go if it, returning to his meal.

During dinner there was a pleasant conversation and everyone was enjoying themselves. Afterwards they all helped clear the table and everyone gathered in the living room for a game of Charades. Harriet went first and since Admiral Chegwidden guessed it, he was up next. Everyone was laughing and Harm thought that retirement had been good for Chegwidden, because he clearly seemed happier.

After a few more rounds, Harm needed some fresh air and slipped out onto the porch. A few minutes later he was joined by someone else. Harm knew who it was even before he heard the all too familiar voice and he dreaded the conversation they were about to have.

"Hey Sailor" Mac came up next to him and leaned on the railing. Harm was fumbling for the words, unsure of how to get started, but she solved that problem for him. "So what's bothering you?"

He turned and looked at her. She was beautiful. "Mac, I... I love you, always have, always will. But I'm done trying to get you to see that I'm serious. It's not fair to any of us, especially not Cole..." He was about to go on when she stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"I broke up with Cole."

"You did?"

"Well it was a mutual decision, but I opened the door." Harm looked at the ground, afraid to ask why, but she brought his face up with her gentle fingers.

"I couldn't go on. Like you said, it wasn't fair to him. He is a good guy and he truly deserves someone who loves him with everything they've got."

Harm looked at her and nodded. He wanted to say something, but he didn't know what to say. She still hadn't said it.

"I love you, Harm." There it was. He broke out into a huge grin, picked her up and spun her around. He put her down and was just about to kiss her when the door opened.

"Commander!" Harm and Mac both jumped and quickly stood at attention. Chegwidden laughed heartily.

"At ease, Harm. I'm not your commanding officer anymore. He is, however, just in here so be discreet." They both nodded, still at attention. "For Heaven's sake man, kiss her already." Harm saluted his former CO "Aye aye, sir." They both laughed.

When AJ had shut the door again Harm and Mac burst out laughing. Inside they could hear their friends counting down. They inched closer and Harm took her in his arms.

"5 ... 4 ... 3 ... 2 ... 1"

"I love you, Sarah."

"I love you too, Harm."

"HAPPY NEW YEAR" the crowd inside yelled as Harm's lips descended on Mac's and suddenly the whole world disappeared around them and all their was left was love.

Happy New Year, guys. May 2016 be a wonderful and blessed year for you all.

A/N: I know this was OOC. I'm not entirely happy with this story. Harm has too much integrity to move in on another guy's girl. And Cole is too nice, it really wasn't fair to him. But it is what it is. I hope you enjoyed it anyway :)


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